Improvement in gang-plows



UNITED. STATES PaTnTtL F. S. DAVENPORT, OF JERSEYVILLE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN GANG-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,612, dated October 9, 1866.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F. S. DAVENPORT, of Jerseyville, Jersey county, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Gang- Plow; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure is a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 2,a side view of the same, partly in section, as indicated by the line as a", Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line 3 y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This machine consists of a frame, A, made of two parallel beams or bars, a a, braced together near the front and back pieces I) Z). From each of these beams or bars depends a plow, B. To the front cross-piece is bolted an iron standard, 0, strengthened by an iron stay, D, running down to the back cross-piece. To the top of the standard 0 is attached a springseat, E, the whole supported upon two wheels, F F, each turning upon an iron axle, c, at tached to a hinged board, G.

It will be observed that one of the axles c is attached to the front or upper side of the hinged board G, and the other to the back or under side in such a manner that when it is turned down in ahorizontal position to lower the plows to the ground, the wheel that runs in the furrow will be much lower than the other, as the depth of the furrow may require. The axle that carries the wheel that runs in the furrow is so formed that it may be removed from the back of the hinged board and bolted to the front, so that the machine may run level when there is no furrow for the wheel to run in, as is the case when preparing the ground for cottonseed.

The hinged board G is attached to the plowframe by two iron hinges, HH, the one, H, on the side of the long beam forming an arm or lever, I, to which is attached a chain, J, which passes over a wheel, K, and is made fast to the plow-frame. The wheel K turns upon a stud in the end of a lever, L, this lever being bolted to the foot-board M, which is hinged to the plow-frame in the same manner and at the same place as the axle-board G. To the opposite end of the foot-board is bolted a bracket or stop, (1, against which rests an arm, 0, by

which the hinged board G is operated, the arm 0 being held in the vertical position by a latch, N, which is lifted by placing the foot on the back part of it.

Now, it will be seen that to lower the plows to the ground, it is only necessary to bring down the arm 0 till a block, f, which is bolted to its side, rests upon aroller,- of a lever, O, which is secured in the required position by a notched quadrant, N. It will be observed that as the lever O is moved forward'from notch to notch the plows will out deeper and deeper, and the reverse as it is drawn back.

By these details the driver has entire con trol of the depth of the furrow, without movin g from his seat or stopping the machine.

Through a mortise in the top of the arm 6 passes a small iron lever, P, to which is attached a rod, Q, connecting it with a brake, R, which acts upon one ofthe wheels F, the brake R working upon a pin fixed in a block of wood or an iron plate fastened to the front side of the hinged board G. The object of this brake is to facilitate the operation of lifting the plows out of the ground when the machine is moving forward, for by applying but a little force to the lever P the brake is pressed sufficiently hard to the wheel to turn the hinged board to the vertical position.

The draft pole or tongue (1* is fastened to the underside of the foot-board M bytwo bolts, a a number of holes being made, so that the tongue may be moved to the right or left to give the required land to the plows. The back holes, b*, are made oblong, so that it can be slanted when needed. The tongue may, if necessary, be used on either side of the draftline, and the double-tree attached to the footboard independent of the tongue. This ar rangement is chiefly for the convenience of using three horses abreast.

When the hinged board G is turned down in the horizontal position the lever or arm I gives the chain J, which is attached to it, considerable slack, allowing the tongue to move 2 5&612

- constituting what is commonly called a lirnber tongue.

In regard to raising the plows out of the ground, it will be observed that the front part of the machine is lifted nearly two-thirds of its course before the lever I tightens the chain and commences to lift the back part. This contrivance produces an easy motion, without causing either jerk or strain upon the horses or the machine. a

The hind plow can be raised or lowered independent of the other, the standard B sliding in an iron block, 0", and operated by a lever, A", extending forward to the front of the seat, and secured in the required position by notches in the side of the seat-standard, as shown in Fig. 3. v

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thelever 1, rod Q, and brake R, arranged and operating as andfor the purpose described.

2. The hinged board G, in connection with the reversible axles, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The lever O and quadrant N, for regulating the depth of the furrow, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Lifting the hind part of the machine by means of the lever or arm I, in connection with the chain J, wheel K, and lever L, these parts operating together substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. Hinging the foot-board M to the plow-.

Witnesses O. A. BUFFINGTON, Gno. W. BURKE. 

